What are Digimon?

Answer 1

Digimon started out as a series of virtual pets in the late 90's. Created by Bandai as tamagotchi for boys, which could connect using metal prongs on the tops of the devices. A manga based off of the virtual pets entitled "V-Tamer 01" was later released and lasted for 58 chapters (including guest appearance by Daisuke(Digimon Adventure 02's main character), Ryo(the Digimon Wonderswan games' main character) and Takuya (Digimon Frontier's main character))

On March 6, 1999, the franchise was given an anime as the first of the Digimon movies aired in theaters in Japan. On March seventh, they began airing a television counterpart titled Digimon Adventure. five further series would follow, each with their own tie-in movies(although xros wars has not recieved a movie yet), and the series was dubbed for release in western markets in the fall of the same year. The show spawned card games, with Hyper Colosseum in Japan and later Digi-Battle in America, and more Video Games. The animated series is easily the best-known segment of the Digimon universe and responsible for the majority of its popularity.

"Digimon" are "Digital Monsters". According to the stories, they are inhabitants of the "Digital World", a manifestation of Earth's communication network. The stories tell of a group of mostly pre-teens, the "Chosen Children" (DigiDestined in the English version), who accompany special Digimon born to defend their world (and ours) from various evil forces. To help them surmount the most difficult obstacles found within both realms, the Digimon have the ability to evolve (Digivolve). In this process, the Digimon change appearance and become much stronger, often changing in personality as well. The group of children who come in contact with the Digital World changes from season to season.

As of 2011, there have been six anime series - Digimon Adventure, Digimon Adventure 02, Digimon Tamers, Digimon Frontier, Digimon Savers, and Digimon xros wars. As is obvious from their titles, the first two seasons take place in the same fictional universe, but the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth each occupy their own unique world (in the case of Digimon Tamers, the Adventure universe is referred to as a television and commercial enterprise). In addition, each series has spawned assorted feature films. Digimon still shows popularity, as new card series, video games, and movies are still being produced and released: new card series include Eternal Courage, Hybrid Warriors, Generations, and Operation X; the video game, Digimon Rumble Arena 2; and the previously unreleased movies Revenge of Diaboromon, Runaway Locomon, Battle of Adventurers, and Island of Lost Digimon. In Japan, Digital Monster X-Evolution, the eighth TV movie, was recently released, and on December 23, 2005 at Jump Festa 2006, the fifth series, Digimon Savers was announced for Japan to begin airing after a three year hiatus of the show.

Digimon is produced by Toei Animation and Bandai of Japan. The series are broadcast in Japan by Fuji Television.

Above retrieved from Answers.com

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Answer 2

Digital Monsters or Digimon are Monsters that live within a Digital World. Digimon are capable of growing into bigger forms by the process of evolving or digivolving to their next state. All Digimon (at least in the first 2 seasons as well as Digimon Frontier and Data Squad) are hatched from Eggs and they will all have a minimum of 6 stages: Baby or Fresh, In-training, Rookie, Champion, Ultimate and Mega.

During moments in which their world or the Real World is in danger, Digimon can be assigned partners from the Real World in which will assist them quicker in the digivolution process. These Human Partners are typically known as the Chosen Children or Digidestined.

In the 4th season of Digimon which is known as "Digimon Frontier" in Japan, the Digidestined can transform into spirits of ancient Digimon which is the process of spirit evolution.